(Austin – March 8, 2017) Increasing the number of professionals to provide substance use treatment is the goal of a bill filed yesterday by Rep. Four Price (R-Amarillo). House Bill 3038 would add licensed chemical dependency counselors to the state’s existing loan repayment program for mental health professionals to address a critical shortage of providers.

More than 80 percent of Texas counties have too few behavioral health providers to meet residents’ health care needs. Making licensed chemical dependency counselors eligible for loan repayment assistance would expand the substance use workforce and increase access to substance use treatment by incentivizing mental health professionals to practice in underserved areas and treat indigent populations.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 20 percent of the nearly 23 million Americans with reported illicit drug or alcohol use problems received treatment in 2013.

The Health Resources & Services Administration projected that by 2025, the national need for substance abuse counselors will exceed the projected supply by 13 percent, resulting in an almost 17,000 full-time equivalent deficit.

The number of youth on wait lists for residential substance abuse treatment grew by 15 times in one year—from 395 youth in 2014 to 6,223 youth in 2015.

The House Select Committee on Mental Health, chaired by Rep. Price during the interim, recommended expanding the substance use workforce. The Loan Repayment Program for Mental Health Professionals was created by the 84th Legislature.

About THA
Founded in 1930, the Texas Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care systems. Based in Austin, THA enhances its members’ abilities to improve accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans. One of the largest hospital associations in the country, THA represents 452 of the state’s non-federal general and specialty hospitals and health care systems, which employ some 369,000 health care professionals statewide. Learn more about THA at www.tha.org or follow THA on Twitter at
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The Texas Hospital Association often publishes white papers on issues affecting Texas hospitals and the health care of Texans.

Texas Medicaid in Perspective: Texas Medicaid, operated in partnership with the federal government, serves primarily low-income pregnant women and children but also individuals with disabilities and older adults. Learn More

2017 Texas Hospitals’ Policy Priorities: Hospitals also are required by federal law to provide, at a minimum, a medical screening to anyone who seeks it and to provide stabilization and treatment services for an emergency medical condition, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Learn more

Hospital Financing Overview: This document is intended to provide a high-level overview of the hospital financing system in Texas and the challenges that exist – challenges that threaten hospitals’ continued ability to provide the highest quality care for all Texans. Learn More

1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver: Learn how the Transformation Waiver is making health care in Texas more effective and efficient and why renewal is so important for Texas hospitals. Learn more

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